Getting rid of short loan bookings

[A66]

Hmmm

I see fights on a Friday afternoon.

Intresting idea

[munchingfoo]

Bringing in an element of survival of the fitest into the uni library system can only be a good thing

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[novium]

you only say that because you're reasonably sure that you could win fights. What about delicate flowers, like me, who wouldn't want to risk breaking a nail!?!?!?!

Quoting munchingfoo from 02:50, 20th Mar 2006
Bringing in an element of survival of the fitest into the uni library system can only be a good thing

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[hr]

"those who wish to be feared must inevitably be afraid of those whom they intimidate"
"In anger nothing right or judicious can be done."

[holden caulfield]

I think this is a really bad idea.

It penalises those of us who are organised enough to book books well in advance and plan what we're going to do when. Instead it will become a matter of luck. I envisage many wasted hours going back and forth to see if a book has been returned yet or not.

[flarewearer]

God bless the electronic journal

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image:www.magnificentoctopus.com/x/elgar.png

[Ben Reilly]

Then come along on Tuesday and say what you think!

[emzn]

I agree with Caulfield. I'm not a lay about student with nothing better to do with my time than stand around waiting for a book to be returned. I have 2 jobs ontop of being a student and my time is seriously organised. The booking system makes my study time more productive, plus I'm not stressed that I can't get my grubby paws on a particular book.

Friends in other uni's have marvelled at our booking system....why get rid of a good thing?

I will endeavour to make my voice heard on Tuesday.

[Lyeta]

Ridiculous idea. Absolutely ridiculous. Unfortunately I can't make it on Tuesday night. As Emzn says it is so helpful to be able to organise your time and avoid pointless trips to the library. How irritating would it be to come to the library god-knows how many times just to find someone had got there a few minutes before you and snagged the book. What a complete waste of time. If the library would like to provide multiple copies of such high-demand books or scan them into an online system, great.

[Ben Reilly]

Due to a change in the copyright licensing arrangements, schools can now have chapters of books scanned and put into WebCT.

[atreus]

Instead of getting rid of the short loan system, why don't we contemplate making normal loans a little shorter. Do we really need an entire book for three to four months? Maybe week could get it for a week or two, so that more people have opportunities to see books.

[Lyeta]

Quoting atreus from 14:54, 20th Mar 2006
Instead of getting rid of the short loan system, why don't we contemplate making normal loans a little shorter. Do we really need an entire book for three to four months? Maybe week could get it for a week or two, so that more people have opportunities to see books.

I think they were just talking about getting rid of the short loan booking system, not the entire short loan system. And we do have shorter loans anyway - we have 3 day and occasionally 7 day loans. As for not needing a book for months on end - if you don't need it bring it back to the library, and if you need a book that is out, recall it.

[atreus]

Quoting Lyeta from 15:55, 20th Mar 2006
As for not needing a book for months on end - if you don't need it bring it back to the library, and if you need a book that is out, recall it.

If only it were that simple, though. Because people tend to hoard books, they don't return them long after they are done with them. As for recalling books, when preparing for tutorials, I've found that a book is out; if I recall it, I won't have it for a week, at which point I won't need the book. As for getting rid of the SL booking system, and not the SL system entirely, still stupid - punishing the planners and rewarding the slackers. Having been one myself, on occassion, there's still no excuse.

[Ben Reilly]

To clarify:

There is no proposal to get rid of short loan.

The proposal is to get rid of booking, as this is incompatible with the self-issue machines.

[emzn]

Well...they should have thought of that before investing in machines that were not up to the job!

Am I to take from this that they are planning to do away with library staff?

[Ben Reilly]

So far as I am aware, it would mean fewer staff working on issuing books, and more on doing shelving, etc.

[sabra_girl]

Good God, DO NOT get rid of the booking system! It's the one remotely reliable function in the library and I can think of fewer worse ideas. I too have a job that takes up much of my time and various other extra-curricular activities which means I simply do not have time to be bobbing into the library every 7 seconds to see if someone's returned the book I desperately need to use. Other than that, the short loan section would be horrifically crowded and boisterous with people coming in to check - I doubt the staff would be too happy and can you imagine the fights that would break out when two people spy the book they've been waiting for at the same time? Do those carpet tiles soak up blood well? It's also highly impractical for students who live on the North Haugh or in DRA to spend hours each day wandering to and from the library in vain hope that the book they need to use is finally there. It's a ridiculous proposition and one which must be quashed immediately.

I'd love to be there to kick up a stink on Tuesday but I'm otherwise engaged. For those of you who can go, PLEASE DO and leave the library repesentatives in absolutely no doubt as to how moronic an idea this is.

[hr]

"There are not very many desires in life which we can actually meet. For instance, 'I want to meet the love of my life'. Probably not today! But 'I want a cup of coffee.' That I can do!" Chris Thile (Nickel Creek)

IMAGE:img360.imageshack.us/img360/114/infosiggy23vz.gif

[Lyeta]

I agree Sabra_girl - well said! I also wish I could go on Tuesday but I can't grrrr.

If the issue is that short loans do not work with self-issue machines and therefore we are paying staff "unnecessarily," what about fewer security guards? It's not as if they actually look at your matric card anyway, so I'm sure it doesn't need 3+ employees to wave and smile as you come to the library. Whenever I have seen the alarm going off it has been the librarians that have taken care of it anyway as it is usually just a mis-scanned book.

[sabra_girl]

As a bit of a post-script...

Ben, is there any way those who are unable to attend Tuesday's meeting can get in touch with the new Head Librarian and let them know out views? An e-mail address or suchlike?

(Hmm, I may feel a petition coming on if necessary. The fire! The fire! The fire of academic injustice and insane propositions is in my belly! Or maybe it's just that curry I had last night...)

[hr]

"There are not very many desires in life which we can actually meet. For instance, 'I want to meet the love of my life'. Probably not today! But 'I want a cup of coffee.' That I can do!" Chris Thile (Nickel Creek)

IMAGE:img360.imageshack.us/img360/114/infosiggy23vz.gif

[emzn]

Does anyone mind if I quote their views at this meeting tomorrow evening?

[sabra_girl]

Please, please - quote away from mine if you need/want to. Stick it to 'em!

[hr]

"There are not very many desires in life which we can actually meet. For instance, 'I want to meet the love of my life'. Probably not today! But 'I want a cup of coffee.' That I can do!" Chris Thile (Nickel Creek)

IMAGE:img360.imageshack.us/img360/114/infosiggy23vz.gif